Type 2 Diabetes Cortisol and Tummy Fat
If you have Type 2 Diabetes and can’t seem to knock off that nagging tummy fat, you’re not alone. Extra fat around the waistline is one of the telltale signs and symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes. However, just because you have Diabetes doesn’t mean that you have to have tummy fat – it just means that you may need to take a few extra steps to control it. Here are some tips and facts about Cortisol and its relationship with Diabetes:
Cortisol Levels Correspond to Stress Levels
Cortisol is a steroid that appears to promote belly fat – fat around the waist. Cortisol has been called a “stress hormone.” It responds to chronic stress by commanding the liver to create and release glucose, fat, and protein into your blood stream for energy.
When the body senses prolonged stress from daily pressures in your life, it triggers a hopeless, defeat response. This response causes your body to release larger amounts of cortisol. This chronic release of cortisol also moves fat from storage areas of your body to areas deep inside your abdomen as belly fat. Also, cortisol appears to help grow baby fat cells to mature fat cells.
Defeat your stress with exercise, yoga, meditation and whatever works for you.
Work Out
IWhile working out won’t prevent you from getting belly fat entirely, it can help – especially after a meal. When you take time to work out after consuming sugar, you will immediately begin turning that sugar into used energy, which means that you will effectively reduce the amount of sugar that is in your blood stream. The shorter the amount of time sugar is in your blood stream the better. So go work off those calories in order to reduce your belly fat!
Diabetes Medicines May Not Help
Many Diabetes medicines, such as repaglanide, go a long way to helping combat the negative side effects of eating all forms of sugar. Because Diabetes medicines like Repaglanide increase insulin in your body, they may have an adverse effect on decreasing levels of Cortisol in your body. Therefore, do not rely on your Diabetes medicines alone to help you combat tummy fat.
All Sugar Counts
No matter what kind of sugar you are taking in, it will add to your tummy fat because it increases your Cortisol levels. Sugar may include complex carbohydrates that you may get from whole grains and breads, as well as simple sugars that come from candy and cakes. Additionally, starches and fructose (from fruit) may also lead to an increase in Cortisol levels. It is recommended that you always eat fructose and starches with a meal in order to give your body some time-off from fighting off sugar.
